1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a system by which an electronic program guide (EPG) is prepared and used to play back or record a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, some apparatus such as a video tape recorder (VTR) or a personal computer having a function of recording a television program have a function of acquiring an electronic program guide included in a television broadcasting wave or an electronic program guide distributed from a server on the Internet and using the acquired electronic program guide to search for a particular program An apparatus of the type described can use an electronic program guide to reserve recording of a program.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-307993 discloses a system which uses an electronic program guide to reserve recording of a program. The system searches for programs relating to a homepage on the Internet to prepare a program guide and performs reservation of recording of a program or playback of a recorded program from the program guide.
In the system described, however, an electronic program guide to be used is prepared by a proxy server which is owned commonly by a plurality of clients of a subscriber and serves also as a video server or an apparatus for use to record and enjoy a program. Therefore, the system cannot process a program using an electronic program guide distributed from a server on the Internet.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-69380 discloses a character multiplex broadcast reception apparatus wherein a condition of a program is displayed on an electronic program guide. In the character multiplex broadcast reception apparatus, such a condition as a recording-reserved condition, a recording proceeding condition or an already-recorded condition is indicated in an electronic program guide sent by a broadcasting wave.
In recent years, a personal computer having a program recording function of the type which uses a browser to display an electronic program guide provided in a Bite on the Internet and reserves recording of a program in accordance with a method called iEPG (Internet Electronic Program Guide) has been put into practical use.
While an electronic program guide is used for reservation of recording of a program, a personal computer of the type described does not allow confirmation of recording conditions of individual programs using an electronic program guide sent thereto through the Internet or by a broadcasting wave or does not allow operation of a program such as playback using an electronic program guide.